Arimo Dave's question

Arimo Dave had a question about my 30 shot group:

Ron,

So, did you get all thirty shots off in 25 seconds?  

One question I have is why are your velocities a bit on the low side?

Dave.

My response:

25 seconds is a milestone yet to be achieved.

Velocities started out at in the 850 860 range which is said to be ideal though the pellet in those statements are usually 18.1. I an out of 18.1s right now so I used the 15.8s. This barrel is suppose to be tight and velocities should be expected to go down.

I have not re-tuned the gun since installing the barrel. The thirty shot string was suppose to be the first step i re-tuning. Next time I'll try 3, 10 shot strings.

JSB 16.89 pellets in the Marmot Militia barrel

My plan was to shoot 30 shots at a single target and measure the velocity of each shot.The velocity part didn’t work out,but the 30 shot group blew my socks off.

What first caught my eye was the roundness of the group even with an extreme spread of over 50 feet per second. 

I used a target Arimo Dave made to represent the short range stang shooting target used in Norway. Dave made this target to be set at 30 yards, so that is where I paced it. Score is hit or miss and hits within the white line are used like an X count for breaking ties. The target measures 1.5 inches across at the base.

All sots went into hole .8 inches tall and 0.7 inches wide. Cross wends and dropping velocities egged it out a little. My chronograph did not record all the velocities, but looking at the screen I saw a high on 861 and the last shot was 511 fps.The starting fill was 2700 psi. Measuring the group center to center I get 0.58.

Watching the each pellet rise vertically and disappear through the hole in the target was nothing short of confidence inspiring. This may well be the most consistently shooting airgun I have. I am looking forward to shooting it in our 16 target speed silhouette shoot and our 32 shot sporting rifle match.

I shot this group from the bench with a scope. When we shoot this target it will be in position and with iron sights. Stay tuned to http://idahoairguns.blogspot.com/ for the match results.

Ron

First groups with Marmot Militia .22 hammer forged barrel

Target is a 50 foot international small bore, A-36

I have been shooting JSB 18.1 pellets getting ready to shoot the silhouette speed shoot form EBR. With our monthly club benchrest match I found that I only had about 30 left. I went through my pellet supply and found JSB 15.89, BSA 16 gr Wolverines, and Baracuda Match.  All good candidates for for my new barrel.

I shot 2, 5 shot groups with each pellet. This would let me see if there was going to be a change in point of impact over a 30 shot string.

JSBs really stood out with a 0.45 and a 0.28 inch groups. All the rest were grouped around 0.6 inch. Only one group hit the one MOA criteria, and we will have to see how it holds up in further shooting. All the pellets were lubed with Wixson's honey.  

At the end of 30 shots I shot 6 ⅕ chickens at 25Y to see if the POI had changed. All six hits were in the center of the chickens. This suggests 40 shots from one fill !!!!

Ron

Marauder Field and Target

Chickens at 25 yards. Four hits on the leg and one body hit after adjusting the elevation. These are the same size targets as Extreme Benchrest. 

Crosman announced that they were addressing the .22 barrel situation at about the time I bought a Marmot Militia barrel for my .22 Armada. This barrel along with a regulator was going to become available in a new Marauder variant called the Field and Target.

This has happened to me before. I converted a 1760 to compressed air just in time for Crosman to announce the Discovery which filled to a higher pressure and cost $100 less than my conversion.

This week, Crosman sent an email to an airgun forum poster saying that they were not “moving forward at this time” on the Field and Target.

When the Field and Target was announced at the Shot Show in January, the wise posters felt that the new rifle wouldn’t be for sale until April or May, I don’t think this affects my decision to buy an aftermarket barrel. Also I would not be surprised if the new Crosman barrel didn’t show up as a replacement part for six months after the release of the new rifle. I plan to shoot the Armada at Extreme Benchrest, and I need to practice with it starting as soon as the receding winter snowpack lets me.

By the way, the new barrel form Marmot Militia is looking very good.

Pigs at 35 yards. Left two shots. Right three shots.

Ron

Installation and first shooting of Hammer forged barrel

The new barrel arrived all shiny and bright and I re-read Jim’s web site where he guaranteed ½ inch groups at 60 yards. This would put the Armada at the top of my airgun totem, and make me a fulfilled air gunner.

My new toy won't do all those wonderful things if I don’t install it and the time had come to face what ever wrenches and o-rings and other defugalities stood in the way of soothing my super gun to be.

The Armada is a special case because I had to take the hand rail off before I could remove the stock from the air cylinder and barrel assembly. I did this once before when I tuned the rifle. Getting the stock off resembles a wood block puzzle, and is not hard as long as you remember that the first step in to remove the tiny set screws under the front of the hand rail. This screw secures the bracket that goes around the front of the air cylinder.

Barrel installation is not hard or time consuming. Set aside enough time to do the job without being rushed. I spent two hours on it and that includes cleaning the barrel once before installation and once after function firing it 20 times into a snow bank.to make sure the magazines worked OK.

All back together I had to see if the $210 was going to pay off. I could shoot across 50 yards of snow to a spot where I had some metallic silhouettes set up.  I mounted the Center point 4-16 scope that came with the rifle. Shooting Hunter Field Target style with a seat and a bipod, I sighted in and hit 6 chickens with 6 consecutive shots. On a steel plate I shot a 4 shot group that measured slightly over ½ inch. This barrel is going to earn its keep,

The next day it snowed 21 inches and canceled our benchrest match.

More to come.

Ron